Exchange over Starbits
by Hinoede
Summary: The Lumas decide to give Rosalina the traditional starbits of the galaxy after a tiring day. Their reunion is interrupted by a kind stranger. Rosalina learns that they have more in common than she originally thought.


Night, when the sky was bleached a rich, dark blue and millions of stars littered the sky – it was the only time any fighter was given peace. There was no roof overhead, rather the environment was a lone hill and towering tree was comfort to the princess enough.

Calmness rest upon visage as gaze locked onto the world above.

Rosalina had absolute faith in the Lumas, yet she still worried for their wellbeing and the Starship.

To her, the Lumas were more than friends – they were family. She loved them as much as they loved her. Having to use them in battle, watching them get blasted away by a stray bomb-omb or someone's reckless attacks was sometimes difficult to bear. At the same time, she was not gentle in her movements either, but she knew the limitations of their defense.

"Mama!"

A light voice strung along with a brief puff of sparkles and light. Attached was a rather chubby yellow star with large black eyes. Sans mouth, the Luma spoke in high tone, gleefully boasting a collection of crystalline fragments - starbits - at its "feet".

"Are you hungry, mama? I brought some!"

Indeed she was. It had been some time since she last ate the food given to her by an unfortunate piñata. When the golden ball landed on the battlefield, a fighter had charged at it, suspending it in the air. It cracked open after a ring of sorts, expelling light refreshments.

_Poof!_

"Me too, mama!"

_Poof!_

"We got some also!"

Rosalina laughed, a sound like chimes wrapped in wind. "Thank you, we'll share them." And as the Lumas expressed their different forms of glee, Rosalina made sure the place they sat was comfortable for a light meal.

A few more Lumas appeared, some with starbits and some without. At their appearance, Rosalina realized that on the battlefield, she could only summon one Luma at a time. She didn't fully understand the structure of this world and its rules, but she felt rather limited. Her powers only expanded so far – everything seemed evenly matched.

The yellow Luma gave her a red starbit, rather grand in size. She accepted, and it made its way back to the piles.

Starbits tasted like honey, practically melted on the tongue. They would never meet up to a nutritious meal, but for a burst of energy, they would suffice. Besides, there was only so much sweetness she could take.

She listened to the banter of the Lumas, waiting for a chance to respond:

"Mama, were you hurt when you fought that captain guy?"

"Eight people in one battle is a lot, isn't it?"

"Next time, I'll appear, and I'll protect you, mama!"

"Um, last time you got sent in, you were blasted off the field..."

"I- yeah, but not this time!"

Rosalina smiled warmly, realizing she had missed the friendly exchanges. Being stranded in a foreign world really limited her time with her family... That's why she needed to make her way to the top, confront the mastermind behind this whole scheme and return home. Hopefully she could bring Mario and the others home too.

The tranquil atmosphere was instantly shattered by light footfalls: Lumas fell silent and averted the gaze to the noise. Rosalina, now alert and preparing to fight followed their curious eyes. Her fingers tightened around the wand and she stood, her legs protesting from being sat on for so long.

Their intruder was a young boy around the age of 13 with brown hair and blue eyes. If not for the white wings sprouting from his back, Rosalina would've thought him an ordinary person. Another oddity was his outfit, reminiscent of the people in Greek mythology.

When it was clear Rosalina and the Lumas weren't going to verbally react, he spoke:

"Uh, hi." He said awkwardly. "I thought I heard voices, and I'm kinda surprised to see you. You're new here, aren't you?"

Rosalina blinked, dropping her guard slightly. He didn't _seem _threatening, and his weapon was not drawn. "Yes, I suppose I am... May I ask your name?"

The boy seemed to relax at the invitation. "Right, about that... I'm Pit, servant of the Goddess Palutena!" he beamed, obviously quite proud of the title. "And you kinda look like Princess Peach... Are you two related?"

Yep. Definitely not threatening; innocent if anything else.

"No, but we know each other..." Why was she telling him this?

A light nudge on her lower leg. A brown Luma. "Mama, is he a fighter too?"

Pit raised an eyebrow, mouth slightly ajar. "Wait, _mama_? You're their mother?"

"Yep!" Another Luma piped up, pride laced in its tone. "She looks after us and we are her protectors. Like you and your Goddess, right?"

"I guess so. I'll always be there for Lady Palutena."

Rosalina intervened. "Why not sit down, Pit? We're not going to fight, and we have some food." She turned to the Lumas. "You wouldn't mind sharing with someone else, would you?"

At their approval and Rosalina's, Pit thanked them, taking a seat across from Rosalina between two Lumas of different color. They tilted their bodies in puzzlement at the newcomer. Rosalina could tell they were burning with questions, but she didn't want Pit to feel overwhelmed with their questions. Instead, she offered the starbits.

He examined one closely. "What are they? Candy?"

Her shoulders lifted in a light shrug. "Somewhat. They're starbits – try one."

Pit gave the starbit one last look before popping it in his mouth. He made a satisfied noise, chewing the remaining bits before swallowing. "It's sweet!" The Lumas seemed happy at the response. "Do they make these for you?"

She was glad their conversation was steering towards casual ground. "They're actually found among the stars and the Lumas collect them."

"That's awesome!" he smiled. "I'll have to tell Lady Palutena; they would be perfect to send in during missions... or for the centurions when they're on break."

"Centurions?" Rosalina rested her hands in her lap. "Are they angels as well?"

Pit looked ready to snag another, but seemed more eager to answer her question instead. "No, they're soldiers of Lady Palutena. They look totally different from us, but they're pretty loyal... and some have a good sense of humor."

"Interesting..." She mused. It was true that most of the fighters seemed to come from a different world. Rosalina never spoke to the other fighters, but judging by their simple attire, she knew they did not hail from the Mushroom Kingdom.

Silence filled the gaps of their speech.

"It's kinda odd..."

Rosalina looked up. "What is?"

Pit shifted his position, crossing legs. "I just haven't been able to connect with Lady Palutena. We usually talk all the time, but after I got sent here, our connection just broke. I wonder if she's alright..." He had grown suddenly quiet, different from the Pit she talked with previously.

She could relate. She worried for the Lumas back on the Starship, sailing through the lone skies. "It seems that this world cuts off connections with our home. I worry about the Lumas; they're all alone up there."

His eyes were on her, so she continued after brief pause.

"I'm sure Lady Palutena is safe. You believe in her, don't you Pit? That's all that matters. She may be in this world as well; maybe you will cross paths again, and maybe you can both go home together. Lady Palutena has faith in you, Pit. You don't have to tell me, but I sense a strong bond between you two. You speak quite highly of her – you both sound close. Pass the trials, and you'll run into her soon enough."

He seemed to let the words sink in, giving a slow nod. "Thanks, Rosalina. I hope you're right." He sighed, leaning back slightly. "You know, you're one of the few I've spoken to in this world. I've met some other fighters as well, and we fought together in the past. But it's hard finding someone who isn't trying to kill you."

Rosalina laughed softly at the comment. "Thank you, Pit. And you too; I have not been able to speak with the others from different worlds. We're so caught up in our brawls that it's hard to find any time to set aside differences."

"Yeah... Kinda makes me wish we would band together like we did in the Subspace Emissary."

"Well..." Rosalina took note of how the Lumas were starting to grow drowsy. They were entertained by the exchange between her and Pit, but the ones who had assisted her in today's matches were worn to the core. "The matches sometimes split off into teams. If we're given the choice, we could partner together. It would give us an advantage since we know one another."

Pit perked up at this suggestion. "Yeah, we could. It'd be nice to fight alongside a friend, and I'd totally look out for you too."

A Luma, one who was summoned in an earlier battle, sprung forward with a declaration: "We can protect mama, together!"

The night seemed calmer as a new friendship began to blossom.

* * *

><p><strong>author note: <strong>_Had this idea running through my head for a while. After reading "Rosalina's Storybook", I liked the idea of her and Pit interacting and eating starbits or something. Then it grew into this. Sorry if I got Rosalina OOC; I have not played Super Mario Galaxy, but I have read the storybook..._


End file.
